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| Author |
Stöwe, M. & Kotrschal, K. |
| Title |
Behavioural phenotypes may determine whether social context facilitates or delays novel object exploration in ravens. |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
International Journal of Ornithology |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
148 |
Issue  |
Suppl 2 |
Pages |
179-184 |
| Keywords |
Corvus corax – Novel object exploration – Personality – Social facilitation |
| Abstract |
Individuals consistently differ in behavioural phenotypes. Here we examine the interaction between behavioural phenotype and response to social context during novel object exploration in a neophobic corvid species, the raven (Corvus corax). The presence of conspecifics tends to encourage object exploration and learning but may also delay or even inhibit exploratory behaviour. Factors such as individual differences in response to social context may determine whether the presence of a conspecific facilitates or inhibits approach to novel objects. We confronted eleven six-month-old hand-raised ravens with novel objects, both individually and in dyadic combinations. We defined individuals as “fast” and “slow” explorers on the basis of their approach latency to novel objects when tested individually. The presence of a conspecific delayed the approach of fast birds to novel objects. Slow birds, in contrast, approached the novel objects with lower latencies and spent more time close to them when in dyads with fast siblings than when alone. The individuals" approach behaviour seemed to determine whether social context facilitated or delayed exploratory behaviour. This may contribute to explaining ambiguous results concerning the effects of social context in previous studies. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4507 |
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| Author |
Wolf, M.; van Doorn, G.S.; Leimar, O.; Weissing, F.J. |
| Title |
Life-history trade-offs favour the evolution of animal personalities |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
447 |
Issue |
7144 |
Pages |
581-584 |
| Keywords |
Aggression/physiology/psychology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Evolution; Exploratory Behavior/physiology; Models, Biological; Personality/*physiology; Predatory Behavior/physiology; Reproduction/physiology; Risk-Taking; Selection (Genetics) |
| Abstract |
In recent years evidence has been accumulating that personalities are not only found in humans but also in a wide range of other animal species. Individuals differ consistently in their behavioural tendencies and the behaviour in one context is correlated with the behaviour in multiple other contexts. From an adaptive perspective, the evolution of animal personalities is still a mystery, because a more flexible structure of behaviour should provide a selective advantage. Accordingly, many researchers view personalities as resulting from constraints imposed by the architecture of behaviour (but see ref. 12). In contrast, we show here that animal personalities can be given an adaptive explanation. Our argument is based on the insight that the trade-off between current and future reproduction often results in polymorphic populations in which some individuals put more emphasis on future fitness returns than others. Life-history theory predicts that such differences in fitness expectations should result in systematic differences in risk-taking behaviour. Individuals with high future expectations (who have much to lose) should be more risk-averse than individuals with low expectations. This applies to all kinds of risky situations, so individuals should consistently differ in their behaviour. By means of an evolutionary model we demonstrate that this basic principle results in the evolution of animal personalities. It simultaneously explains the coexistence of behavioural types, the consistency of behaviour through time and the structure of behavioural correlations across contexts. Moreover, it explains the common finding that explorative behaviour and risk-related traits like boldness and aggressiveness are common characteristics of animal personalities. |
| Address |
Theoretical Biology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands |
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1476-4687 |
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PMID:17538618 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4098 |
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| Author |
Bell, A.M. |
| Title |
Evolutionary biology: animal personalities |
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2007 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
447 |
Issue |
7144 |
Pages |
539-540 |
| Keywords |
Aggression/physiology/psychology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Evolution; Humans; *Models, Biological; Personality/genetics/*physiology; Reproduction/genetics/physiology; Risk-Taking; Selection (Genetics) |
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1476-4687 |
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PMID:17538607 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4099 |
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| Author |
Nettle, D. |
| Title |
The evolution of personality variation in humans and other animals |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
The American Psychologist |
Abbreviated Journal |
Am Psychol |
| Volume |
61 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
622-631 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Birds; *Evolution; Female; Fishes; Humans; Insects; Male; Personality/*genetics/*physiology |
| Abstract |
A comprehensive evolutionary framework for understanding the maintenance of heritable behavioral variation in humans is yet to be developed. Some evolutionary psychologists have argued that heritable variation will not be found in important, fitness-relevant characteristics because of the winnowing effect of natural selection. This article propounds the opposite view. Heritable variation is ubiquitous in all species, and there are a number of frameworks for understanding its persistence. The author argues that each of the Big Five dimensions of human personality can be seen as the result of a trade-off between different fitness costs and benefits. As there is no unconditionally optimal value of these trade-offs, it is to be expected that genetic diversity will be retained in the population. |
| Address |
University of Newcastle, Newcastle, United Kingdom. daniel.nettle@ncl.ac.uk |
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0003-066X |
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PMID:16953749 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4105 |
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Reddon, A.R.; Hurd, P.L. |
| Title |
Acting unilaterally: Why do animals with strongly lateralized brains behave differently than those with weakly lateralized brains? |
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Journal Article |
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2009 |
Publication |
Bioscience Hypotheses |
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2 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
383-387 |
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Cerebral lateralization; Individual variation; Personality; Habenula; Dorsal-diencephalic conduction system |
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Cerebral lateralization was once thought to be unique to humans, but is now known to be widespread among the vertebrates. Lateralization appears to confer cognitive advantages upon those that possess it. Despite the taxonomic ubiquity and described advantages of lateralization, substantial individual variation exists in all species. Individual variation in cerebral lateralization may be tied to individual variation in behaviour and the selective forces that act to maintain variation in behaviour may also act to maintain variation in lateralization. The mechanisms linking individual variation in the strength of cerebral lateralization to individual variation in behaviour remain obscure. We propose here a general hypothesis which may help to explain this link. We suggest that individuals with strong and weak lateralizations behave differently because of differences in the ability of one hemisphere to inhibit the functions of the other in each type of brain organization. We also suggest a specific mechanism involving the asymmetric epithalamic nucleus, the habenula. We conclude by discussing some predictions and potential tests of our hypothesis. |
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1756-2392 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5417 |
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h:, M.; Lévy, F.; Fortin, M.; Leterrier, C.; LansadLansade, L. |
| Title |
Stress and temperament affect working memory performance for disappearing food in horses, Equus caballus |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
86 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
1233-1240 |
| Keywords |
delayed-response task emotion; equid; Equus caballus; fearfulness; individual difference; personality; stress; temperament |
| Abstract |
In the present study, we sought to determine the influence of stress and temperament on working memory for disappearing food in horses. After assessment of five dimensions of temperament, we tested working memory of horses using a delayed-response task requiring a choice between two food locations. Delays ranging from 0 to 20 s were tested. The duration of working memory for disappearing food was first characterized without stressors (N = 26). The horses were then divided into two groups and their performance was assessed under stressful (exposure to acute stressors prior to testing, N = 12) or control conditions (N = 12). Results showed that the duration of working memory for disappearing food lasted at least 20 s under nonstressful conditions, and that under stressful conditions this duration lasted less than 12 s. This stress-induced impairment confirms in a nonrodent species that working memory performance is very sensitive to exposure to stressors. In addition, working memory performance in horses is influenced by the temperamental dimension of fearfulness according to the state of stress: fearful horses showed better performance under control conditions and worse performance under stressful conditions than nonfearful horses. These findings are discussed in the context of the Yerkes–Dodson law of stress and performance. |
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0003-3472 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5746 |
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Valenchon, M.; Lévy, F.; Górecka-Bruzda, A.; Calandreau, L.; Lansade, L. |
| Title |
Characterization of long-term memory, resistance to extinction, and influence of temperament during two instrumental tasks in horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
Animal Cognition |
| Volume |
16 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
1001-1006 |
| Keywords |
Personality; Learning; Individuality; Fearfulness; Equid; Cognitive flexibility |
| Abstract |
The present study investigated the influence of temperament on long-term recall and extinction of 2 instrumental tasks in 26 horses. In the first task (backward task), horses learned to walk backward, using commands given by an experimenter, in order to obtain a food reward. In the second task (active avoidance task), horses had to cross an obstacle after a bell rang in order to avoid emission of an air puff. Twenty-two months after acquisition, horses exhibited perfect recall performance in both tasks. Accordingly, no influence of temperament on recall performance could be observed for either task. In contrast, in the absence of positive or negative outcomes, the horses’ ability to extinguish their response to either task was highly variable. Resistance to extinction was related to some indicators of temperament: The most fearful horses tended to be the most resistant to extinction in the backward task, while the least sensitive horses tended to be the most resistant to extinction in the active avoidance task. These findings reveal extensive long-term memory abilities in horses and suggest an influence of temperament on learning processes other than acquisition. |
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Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
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English |
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1435-9448 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5735 |
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Graf, P.; König von Borstel, U.; Gauly, M. |
| Title |
Practical considerations regarding the implementation of a temperament test into horse performance tests: Results of a large-scale test run |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
9 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
329-340 |
| Keywords |
novel object test; temperament; personality; horse; performance traits; performance tests |
| Abstract |
Abstract Considering the ever-growing demand of various breeding organizations for an objective, inexpensive, reliable, and easily conducted assessment of the behavior of horses, the aim of our study was to implement a novel-object test and a startling test into any kind of breeding performance testing to assess horses' temperament. Additionally, the influence of testing areas (familiar or unfamiliar), riders, and horse factors such as levels of training, breed, and age were of interest. Furthermore, recommendations for the practical implementation concerning the parameters should be given. Therefore, 1,028 horses over a period of 3 years participated in a temperament test consisting of 5 different stimuli. The horses were either ridden (61.8 %) or led by hand (38.2 %) by an unfamiliar professional rider (N = 43) or a familiar rider (N = 20). Live behavioral observations were taken by a trained observer. Overall, horses' scores for reactivity in the present temperament test were distributed over the whole scale, with lower means and higher standard deviations (6.7 ± 2.2-7.6 ± 2.1) than corresponding scores from the conventional personality evaluation in performance tests (7.7 ± 0.8-8.2 ± 0.5; P < 0.01). High correlations (r = 0.3-0.9; P < 0.001) between the scores for reactivity and the other behavioral parameters (emotional expression, activity, time to calm down, rider's aids) show a large influence of these parameters in assessing the horses' temperament. Factors like breed type, sex, and age had significant influences (P < 0.001) on different scores of the temperament test. In most cases, the rider or handler had no influence on the different scores assessed during the temperament test. The training level and the testing modus never had a significant influence on different scores. Only the testing station or location had a small influence on the scores for the stimulus “bridge” in some horses. Based on the results, it could be concluded that an implementation of a temperament tests into performance testing is possible during various types of testing procedure. Especially the assessment of reactivity, emotional expression, interest in the stimulus and rider's aids during and after passing the stimulus, as well as the time to calm down are important parameters for analyzing the horses' personality. |
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1558-7878 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5867 |
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| Author |
Stamps, J.A. |
| Title |
Growth-mortality tradeoffs and 'personality traits' in animals |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Ecology Letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ecol Lett |
| Volume |
10 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
355-363 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Growth; *Mortality; *Personality |
| Abstract |
Consistent individual differences in boldness, reactivity, aggressiveness, and other 'personality traits' in animals are stable within individuals but vary across individuals, for reasons which are currently obscure. Here, I suggest that consistent individual differences in growth rates encourage consistent individual differences in behavior patterns that contribute to growth-mortality tradeoffs. This hypothesis predicts that behavior patterns that increase both growth and mortality rates (e.g. foraging under predation risk, aggressive defense of feeding territories) will be positively correlated with one another across individuals, that selection for high growth rates will increase mean levels of potentially risky behavior across populations, and that within populations, faster-growing individuals will take more risks in foraging contexts than slower-growing individuals. Tentative empirical support for these predictions suggests that a growth-mortality perspective may help explain some of the consistent individual differences in behavioral traits that have been reported in fish, amphibians, reptiles, and other animals with indeterminate growth. |
| Address |
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jastamps@ucdavis.edu |
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English |
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1461-0248 |
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PMID:17498134 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4100 |
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| Author |
Graf, P.; König von Borstel, U.; Gauly, M. |
| Title |
Importance of personality traits in horses to breeders and riders |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
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8 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
316-325 |
| Keywords |
survey; personality; temperament; horse; rider; breeder |
| Abstract |
Abstract Especially in horses, personality traits play an important role because horses' behavior influences their quality as a riding partner. In contrast to that, no objective assessment of horses' personality traits is available at present. Although initial efforts are made in this field, a successful implementation of behavior tests into horse performance tests depends on the acceptance of the riders and breeders. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the importance of personality traits to breeders and riders as well as the degree of riders' acceptance of a temperament test as a more objective means of assessing equine personality traits. Using a web-based survey consisting of a 41-item questionnaire, a total of 1087 competition riders (49.3%), breeders (39.0%), leisure riders (37.9%), and professional riders (8.6%) of 13 countries were recruited to participate in the survey. When asked to split 1000 Euro among the different traits listed in the breeding goal, respondents clearly assigned more weight to the personality-related character and temperament traits (least squares mean ± standard error; P < 0.005: €228.7 ± 17.6) and willingness to work (€123.0 ± 9.6) compared with performance traits, such as the quality of trot (€77.7 ± 6.9) or show jumping (€68.0 ± 12.3). Nevertheless, expected differences in relative weighting of traits between the different groups of riders were confirmed (e.g., character and temperament: €209.3 ± 6.1 [leisure riders] vs. €149.7 ± 5.4 [competition riders], P < 0.0001). When asking why personality traits are so important, the simplification of daily work with the horses (47.9%) and relationship between horse and human (44.9%) as well as a more comfortable and safer handling (31.5%) were most commonly listed. As much as 45.6% of all participants see quality problems with the current assessment and suggested the evaluation of all breeding animals (30.1%), followed by a better standardization of assessment procedures (25.5%) and a move to more objective criteria such as the introduction of a temperament test (20.3%) for solving the problems. The present survey revealed that behavior traits are very important to all groups of riders and breeders, although there are diverse opinions about it. According to the participants, there is a need for and a high potential in the move toward more objective assessment methods of horses' personality traits, and participants would support a restructuring of the current assessment. |
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1558-7878 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5865 |
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